Courage to refuse’s New Campaign Calls for Confiscation of the Settlers' Guns

30/01/2005

A new campaign against the settlers' violence was launched today by Courage to Refuse. The campaign, titled "Take Their Guns Away", includes hundreds of billboard-sized signs and banners across Israel. It also includes petitions calling for the confiscation of the settlers' arms, advertisements in Israeli leading newspapers, and demonstrations held by Courage to Refuse members and their supporters.

The first demonstration will take place on Sunday, January 30, in front of the encampment built by the settlers near the Knesset. The signs, warning from the dangerous impact of the intimidation campaign led by the settlers in the past months, read:

"Take Their Guns Away! A Prime Minister has already been assassinated. A Border Police officer who participated in the evacuation of an illegal outpost had been injured and was left paralyzed after being attacked by a settler. Now, the Settlers threaten to hurt soldiers and even shoot them when they come to evacuate settlement. We must protect the Israeli Defense Forces from the settlers' violence. We appeal to the Minister of Interior and to the Minister of Defense to confiscate the settlers' firearms and ammunition. We will not let the settlers hijack our democracy!"

This campaign is designed to become a wake up call for the Israeli public. It aims to create a public debate that will pressure Israeli officials into taking the appropriate measures against the extreme settlers. We also hope to encourage positive forces within the settlers' camp to advocate a non-violent struggle rather than engage in a campaign of threats against the Israeli democracy.